The Transfer Tavern

Introducing: Hector Herrera as the man to unlock Arsenal’s midfield

Arsenal fans must be scratching their heads when it comes to how their side play with their performances producing a rather mixed bag at times. There is no doubt that Unai Emery appears to have managed to change things around at the Gunners, however, their displays and results are far from consistent.

The manager will likely need a number of transfer windows to sort out key areas within the squad, however, he should look to use the upcoming summer one as a way of immediately adding some real creativity to his squad ahead of the next campaign.

Hector Herrera is believed to be available on a free transfer in the summer as he has continued to reject Porto’s advances of signing a new deal and Arsenal must look to capitalise on the situation, as they have been linked with a move for him by AS (via Sport Witness).

The Mexico international would help to provide the Gunners with some much-needed reinforcements in the midfield, especially with the imminent departure of Aaron Ramsey. The 28-year-old would be able to give the north London outfit a lot of the same qualities that the Wales international has managed to do during his time at the Emirates Stadium, reducing the potential fallout from his absence drastically.

Herrera is an extremely versatile player, as he can play in a number of positions in the middle of the park, which could be game-changing for Emery’s side. He can act as a defensive midfielder as he has the capability of producing some excellent tackles and could slot alongside the likes of either Lucas Torriera or Matteo Guendouzi just in front of the backline.

However, he can also be utilised further forward, which could be more beneficial for the Gunners, as he has an excellent passing range and can play some exquisite balls through to the front line. If he were to be deployed as a number 10, Herrera could also be able to provide a source of goals to the club as he is comfortable in shooting from distance, having scored seven times and provided two assists in his 43 appearances across all competitions this season (Transfermarkt).

With Mesut Ozil’s future still remaining a little in the air – although Emery has decided to use him a little more recently – the Mexican could also provide the manager with a different attacking option as they look to bring additional creativity to their ranks.

And, the 28-year-old is unlikely to have any real trouble of having to adapt to the Premier League and European competition, as the Latin American has plenty of experience of playing at the top-level.

Should Arsenal be able to bring Herrera to the Emirates Stadium in the summer for free, Emery will have surely found the player to unlock the club’s midfield and boost their chances of winning silverware once again.

Arsenal fans, do you think Herrera could be the answer to helping the club achieve silverware? Join in with the discussion below by sharing your thoughts with us.